Association Links

The Ottawa Valley Golf Association (OVGA) is a non-profit organization incorporated under the Canada Corporations Act. The OVGA was formed in 1980 under the leadership of Len Copeland past President of the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, then provincial representative of the Ottawa District Golf Association which dated from 1948. The OVGA is affiliated with Golf Québec and the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA).

Golf Ontario, as it is currently structured, came into being in November of 2001, following the amalgamation of the Ontario Golf Association and the Ontario Ladies Golf Association. It was renamed to Golf Ontario in April, 2016 as part of a new strategic plan. Prior to the amalgamation, the OGA and the OLGA had represented amateur golfers in Ontario for close to 80 years and had done an excellent job of building and promoting the game. The majority of our individual members are at the Private and Semi Private Clubs, but the association also offers opportunities for individuals to join directly as members of a Public Player Program. At the present time, the GO represents over 420 Member Clubs and over 115,000 individuals making it one of the largest Amateur Golf Associations in the world.

The organization was officially founded in 1920 when the Montréal District Golf Association amended its constitution and changed its name to the Province of Québec Golf Association, enabling golf clubs outside the district of Montréal to benefit from the governance and golf development services rendered by the Association. Today, stakeholders depend on Golf Québec to knowledgeably, professionally and proactively build interest in, and excitement around the game of golf. The not-for-profit Association has approximately 62,000 men, women and junior members in some 286 golf clubs and is sub-divided into eight regions in the province of Québec and Eastern Ontario.

Golf Canada – a member-based organization – is the governing body of golf in Canada, representing more than 350,000 members at 1,600 clubs across the country. Recognized by Sport Canada as the National Sport Organization (NSO) for golf in this country, Golf Canada is responsible for promoting participation in and a passion for the game of golf in Canada.

The Canadian Professional Golfers’ Association is a membership based non-profit organization representing over 3,700 club professionals and tournament professionals across Canada. The Association was founded on July 11 1911 at the Royall Ottawa Golf Club in Hull Quebec which makes the CPGA the 2nd. oldest Professional Golf Association in the world. Besides raising the overall standard of play through organized competition, the Association established a code of ethics and performance standards for the Profession.

The spirit of friendship, community and unity amongst Canadian golf operators has been at the heart of the NGCOA Canada since its very beginning, and the story of how the NGCOA Canada came to exist is an invigorating study in how passion, initiative, and friendship can build a powerful and progressive community for the good of an entire industry. It all began in 1993 when a handful of Ottawa area golf course owners, led by Mark Seabrook, embarked on a vision of establishing an owners group similar to that operating in the United States. These operators believed that sharing information, keeping open lines of communication, and using collective buying power to negotiate for better pricing and stronger discounts from suppliers was the best way to run more profitable and efficient golf operations.

The Ottawa Valley Turfgrass Association (OVTA) was founded in 1972 when a group directly involved with the turfgrass industry recognized the need for a local association. Founding members established a forum through which they could encourage and support research and interchange scientific and practical knowledge relating to the construction and care of turfgrass areas as it pertained to their own environment. The OVTA initially started with fewer than forty members and played host to one golf tournament each year, the Fall Field day. Today, membership is over two hundred and in addition to the annual Fall Field Day, the OVTA plays host to other tournaments and an annual Winter/Spring Seminar and Tradeshow.

The foundation of the United States Golf Association on Dec. 22, 1894 marked the formal organization of American golf, establishing a centralized body to write the Rules, conduct national championships and establish a national system of handicapping. The USGA also plays a prominent role as the game’s historian in the United States, collecting, displaying and preserving artifacts and memorabilia at its Museum and Archives in Far Hills, N.J.

Formed in 1754 and based in St Andrews, The R&A seeks to engage in and support activities that are undertaken for the benefit of the game of golf and, despite deriving its name from the members’ club, is separate and distinct from The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. The R&A organises The Open Championship, golf’s oldest Major, along with a number of other amateur and junior events, some of which are sanctioned by other golfing bodies. In addition, The R&A assumes responsibility for the administration of the Rules of Golf with the consent of 143 organisations from the amateur and professional game, and on behalf of over 30 million golfers in 126 countries throughout Europe, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas.